Winding your way down on Baker Street

Mail Call today!

Look what I got.

+Bryce Whitacre's Victorian RPG Baker Street is out to backers of the Kickstarter.
It looks great and I can't wait to try it out.

Hope to have a review up soon!

Kickstart your Weekend: Blue Rose for the AGE System

Green Ronin has Kickstarted the newest edition of their groundbreaking game, Blue Rose for their in house AGE Adventure Gaming Engine.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504269797/blue-rose-the-age-roleplaying-game-of-romantic-fan

I have not played much with AGE to be honest.  I have the first two Dragon Age sets and they look like fun.  I like the system, but it is one of those things I have not found an audience for.

I will pick this one up.  I really want to see what they add new to it.
I might even play the AGE system or back-convert it to True20.

In any case I am quite looking forward to this.

Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall

I know I have been going on and on (and on) about this one, but we are in the final hours now.

Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665143704/guidebook-to-the-duchy-of-valnwall?ref=card

So much great stuff is going into this book and another 100 bucks would be great to get more authors.

Check it out, support or at the very least pass it on to others.

Kickstart Your Weekend: The Dwarves of Demrel

The Dwarves of Demrel is an independent fantasy film and exactly the sort of thing that Kickstarter should be about.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/257801402/the-dwarves-of-demrel

From the site:  "In this steampunk fantasy adventure, a collapse imprisons three dwarven miners who must now work collectively to combat starvation, despair, and a mysterious creature."

Honestly I think it looks rather cool.

They have met their goal, but that could still use more funding for those stretch goals.

Check out their page on FB as well for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/dwarvesofdemrel?_rdr

Should be a lot of fun.

Kickstart Your Weekend: The Haunting of Oakcrest Manor

"No one is actually sure when the troubles at Oakcrest Manor began.  What is known that many years ago Lord Borgric and his wife Rebecca retired from a life of adventuring to settle down in the quite village of Nahm.  He built her a home where they could live their remaining years in comfort. He also built her a wing on the house where she could continue her life's calling of taking care of the sick and wounded.

We know they had a daughter, Imogene, who was as lovely as her mother, but had none of her warmth or compassion, and another daughter Marris, who sadly took more after her father in both looks and intelligence but was as warm-hearted as both her parents.
We know that many years after her parents death Imogene continued her mother's work, but sadly lacked her skill. 

We know from the grey beards that one night Marris ran from the house screaming, only to drop dead of fright. That screams came from the house that could be hear all through the village and nearby wood. We know Imogene never left the house and all inside were dead.

Now the house stands alone, unused, but never forgotten.  No one goes to the manor. No one that goes in ever comes back out.  Some even say that if you listen close you can hear the screams of the people inside and the cruel laughter of Imogene.

Everyone knows Oakcrest is haunted.  No one knows by what."

Want to learn more?

The we just need to hit my stretch goal!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665143704/guidebook-to-the-duchy-of-valnwall?ref=card

Kickstart Your Weekend: Valnwall UPDATE

I want to update you all on a Kickstarter I shared last week.

Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall is set in the same Duchy as the Guidebook to the City of Dolmvay.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665143704/guidebook-to-the-duchy-of-valnwall

This project will detail the Duchy of Valnwall and the surrounding areas.

It is the stretch goals that are really the interesting features of this book.

Each stretch goal will include an adventure or content by some of the best in the OSR.
Check these names out.

Stretch Goal #1: ($1250)  MET
A mini-adventure by James M. Spahn of Barrel Rider Games.

Stretch Goal #2: ($1,500)  MET
A mini-adventure by Jason Paul McCartan of Infinibadger Press and OSRToday.

Stretch Goal #3: ($1,750)  MET
A mini-adventure by Tim Shorts of Gothridge Manor.

Stretch Goal #4: ($2,000)  SOOO CLOSE
A mini-adventure by Joe Johnston of Taskboy Games.

Stretch Goal #5: ($2,250)
A mini-adventure by Tim Brannan of The Other Side Blog.

Stretch Goal #6: ($2,500)
A mini-adventure by author Paul "greyarea" Go.

Stretch Goal #7: ($2,750)
A mini-adventure by cartographer Matt Jackson.

Stretch Goal #8: ($3,000)
A mini-adventure by Jeff Sparks of Faster Monkey Games.

Stretch Goal #9: ($3,250)
A mini-adventure by Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern.

Stretch Goal #10: ($3,500)
A mini-adventure by Pete Spahn of Small Niche Games.

Not a bad crowd to be included with!

I promise I have something special planned for this, but only if the stretch goal is made.

Like this? Share with others!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall

This week I would like to draw your attention to a new Old school Kickstarter.

Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall is set in the same Duchy as the Guidebook to the City of Dolmvay.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/665143704/guidebook-to-the-duchy-of-valnwall

This project will detail the Duchy of Valnwall and the surrounding areas.
The book has already been funded and the first stretch goal reached.
It is the stretch goals that are really the interesting features of this book.

Each stretch goal will include an adventure or content by some of the best in the OSR.
Check these names out.

Stretch Goal #1: ($1250)  MET
A mini-adventure by James M. Spahn of Barrel Rider Games.

Stretch Goal #2: ($1,500)
A mini-adventure by Jason Paul McCartan of Infinibadger Press and OSRToday.

Stretch Goal #3: ($1,750)
A mini-adventure by Tim Shorts of Gothridge Manor.

Stretch Goal #4: ($2,000)
A mini-adventure by Joe Johnston of Taskboy Games.

Stretch Goal #5: ($2,250)
A mini-adventure by Tim Brannan of The Other Side Blog.

Stretch Goal #6: ($2,500)
A mini-adventure by author Paul "greyarea" Go.

Stretch Goal #7: ($2,750)
A mini-adventure by cartographer Matt Jackson.

Stretch Goal #8: ($3,000)
A mini-adventure by Jeff Sparks of Faster Monkey Games.

Stretch Goal #9: ($3,250)
A mini-adventure by Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern.

Stretch Goal #10: ($3,500)
A mini-adventure by Pete Spahn of Small Niche Games.

Not a bad crowd to be included with!

I promise I have something special planned for this, but only if the stretch goal is made.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Darkplane

Up this week is a new campaign setting in the vein of the great campaign settings of the 2nd edition of the world most popular fantasy RPG.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1509124610/darkplane-a-campaign-setting

I think what attracted me first about Darkplane is really the art, it just has such a dream like sureality to it that it called to me.  I like that despite the "darkness" of it all, there is light too. Need that to bring the darkness and horror into sharper contrast.

Changing by Benita Winckler

But once I got into it and started reading more, http://www.darkplane.com/, I discovered that this isn't just a campaign world, but a campaing universe to explore in.

The world is "Weird Horror" which is something I like, but rarely seen done well.  So I am excited about this one since I think the author gets it.

This one has already got to their goal so now it is about getting past those stretch goals.

Can't wait to see what this one has in store!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Elizabeth Chaipraditkul Interview

I want to spend some more time talking about WITCH today with the developer Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, +Liz C. 
WITCH is getting a lot more attention and I wanted learn more about the game.

To say I am looking forward to this is an understatement.

Tim Brannan/The Other Side:  Let’s start at the beginning,  who are you and what is Angry Hamster Publishing?

Elizabeth Chaipraditkul/Angry Hamster: My name is Liz and I am the co-founder of Angry Hamster publishing. I’ve written WITCH and it is our flagship game for Angry Hamster Publishing. I’ve written for the Living Forgotten realms before and I am currently working on a project for Onyx Path Publishing.

TB: How did you get into gaming?
Liz: I was a very solitary kid, the kind of girl who spent all her time in her room playing with her Barbies and making up stories, so the moment I found out about gaming I jumped on it. I thought it was fantastic that there were other people out there that wanted to make-pretend as much as I did. I started out with form rpgs when I was in middle school and then in highschool I was introduced to D&D 3.5 and it took off from there.

TB: What are some of your favorite games? Why?
Liz: TTRPG-wise I would have to say Vampire the Masquerade. I love how gritty it is, the romance and the tragedy of an immortal existence. I blame Anne Rice and Joss Whedon for this. I also love Numenera and Monster Hearts. Numenera because it is unique and wonderful, I love adventure and this game is pure adventure. Monster Hearts holds a special place in my heart, because it is a game that perfectly encapsulates all the angsty supernatural/teen TV shows I love.

TB: Now the good stuff.  What is “WITCH”?
Liz: WITCH is a dark, modern fantasy role play game where you play a member of the Fated a witch or warlock who has sold their soul to a demon for power. The game is set in our world, but then if we had all the cool stuff like magic and monsters. The game deals heavily with how characters will find a way to survive and triumph over their personal storylines and demons. This rather dark theme is set in a world that is utterly fantastical. The world of WITCH, unlike the lives of the Fated, is not dark at all. In fact is it wondrous, magical, and begging to be explored.

TB: What is here in WITCH to set it off from other Modern Supernatural games?
Liz: We place a large importance on character’s stories and their interactions with their personal demons. When I created this game I wanted the character’s lives to be as much a part of the main plot as whatever cool story the GM had cooked up. With the Fated constantly having to deal with their demons the game does that just that. In order for the Fated to gain more power they must summon their demon and make a new deal with them, demons are real characters who have wants and needs, and they will (probably) as the Fated to do something they are not comfortable with. How the Fated deal with their demons and how they still survive in their own lives is a unique feature in our game.

TB: Tell me more about the magic system in WITCH
Liz: Mechanics wise, our magic system is very unique. We don’t put a limit on how much magic players can use, they are able to use as much magic a day as they want, however, it comes at a price. Players can also do things such as Magic Alteration, changing the look and feel of their Spell, at will. This means that players can customise their characters without a penalty and each character’s magic will be unique.

TB:  What sort of games/stories do you expect that people will use this for?
Liz: I’d like to say the two themes I love most in games and that is - adventure and drama. There is nothing like your coven recovering an ancient artefact just for one of you to give it to your demon for power power is there? I love exploring places that beg to be explored and interacting with a world completely foreign to you. However, as a player I am also very selfish. I want a personal story and I want drama. I always hope my GM is going to pick apart my backstory and find something crazy to run with. I believe that is what WITCH allows GMs to do.

TB: Going on the drama bit for a second.  Would it be possible to do a Monster Hearts-like (a game I love) game with WITCH?
Liz: For sure! The setting isn’t limited to adventure, horror, etc. Often, in the WITCH games I run the player’s lives end up taking center stage, their relationships etc. The story I have in mind is always second and woven deeply into who the characters are. I also think that the Fated and their demons could have interesting relationships together. We have a story in the book of a woman named Mary, she was a Pagan and actually ended up married to her devil. I would not call their relationship love… actually the exact opposite, but how fantastic would that type of drama be in a story?

TB: Your Kickstarter is doing great.  You are funded and heading into stretch goals.  What what you like to do this with these funds?  (the Cape Town and Athens additions)
Liz: Well, our most recent stretch goal is one of my most beloved and that is the Devil’s Deck. The Devil’s Deck is an altered Major Arcana of a tarot deck that the fated use to divine the future. It features heavily in our game and if we get 100 more euros in our campaign we unlock it for our players! Each one of our backers will get the digital PNP files for the Devil’s Deck. The next stretch goal after that is getting all our backers (who have pledges for a physical copy of the book) a hard copy of the deck. I really hope we get there!

TB: Cool so a Tarot set to go along with the Witch board!  Any other goodies you would like to do?
Liz: Oh yeah! The next rewards is for sure going to be a GM screen or what I like to call - 4 page cardboard excuse to showcase the amazing art we have! I never use my GM screens as actual screens, but I love handy quick references and the art is always so amazing! Also, if the last two days go crazy I have also sourced custom dice, but we’ll see if we get there :D.

TB: What are your future plans for this game?
Liz: I have a companion that is half on paper and half in my mind. It will give players more options for higher Spell Levels and also introduce two new Fates. It will basically contain a lot of content that didn’t make it into the CRB. I am also working on a few adventures and I would love to get to write more about the Fates.

TB: Ok last question and this is for my own benefit. Who is your favorite wizard, witch or magic-user?
Liz: Argh! Just one? Okay, I am going to pick two - Tara (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Halaster . I love Tara, because she is perfect and wonderful in every way. I love Halaster, because he is crazy. Haha, I actually can’t describe him more than that.
TB: I absolutely LOVE Tara!  Would it be possible to play Willow and Tara in WITCH?
Liz: YES! Well, I want to say no, because we know where the relationship ends up - but yes! Also, dark Willow would make such a cool higher Spell Level witch. In our game when you get to higher Spell levels you get to focus your magic into either redemption or utter damnation (and more, but see my answer above about wanting to write more books ^^). I totally see a tragic dark Willow and redeemed Tara story. Ahhhhh!
TB: Well Tara is alive and well in my games, so I will have to try stating them up!
Liz: I want to see that ^^.

TB: And finally where can we find you on the internet?
Liz: You can find more about WITCH at angryhamsterpublishing.com and follow us on Twitter @angryhamsterrpg. I also have a personal blog, which is epicxcloth.blogspot.com

--

In the process of talking to Liz I decided EXACTLY what my first WITCH game is going to be.

I am going to abandon the Fate version of my American Horror Story: Coven game I was playing around with and do it all under WITCH instead.

AND of course I need to stat up Willow and Tara as soon as I can.

Friday Night Videos: Guest VJ Elizabeth Chaipraditkul of WITCH

Welcome once again to Friday Night Videos!

Tonight I want to welcome my very first Guest VJ.
Back on the original FNV guest VJs were a staple.  Usually they had something to promote, a new movie or TV show, or they were pop-culture icons.

Tonight I want to welcome my very special guest Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, author and designer of new game WITCH!

I featured WITCH this morning on my Kickstart your weekend post so please check that out.
So without further ado here is Liz!
--

Hi! I am Liz and I was asked by Tim to guest VJ and make a playlist based on my game WITCH and what I listened to while creating it. This was difficult and I spent a lot of time agonizing over my Spotify playlists and YouTube history before I came to this core essence list. I hope you enjoy it.

Florence and the Machine - No Light, No Light


When I need to get in the mood for writing I love listening to beautiful things and for me that is Florence and the Machine. Their lyrics stay with me and make me think. No light, No Light is no exception. It is a simple love song with beautiful lyrics. “You are the night time fear, you are the morning when it’s near, when it’s over you’re the start, you’re my head, you’re my heart.” When creating WITCH, the fluff pieces that are meant to tempt and entice readers, I try to emulate what I feel when I listen to Florence and the Machine

Lana Del Rey - Gods & Monsters



Lana is so apathetic in all her songs, it is brilliant. I am a pretty passionate person, at least I like to think so, and Lana is the perfect Yin to my Yang. Furthermore, the subject matter of her songs is darkly shallow, the perfect mood for a simple noir setting- smoking a cigarette, sipping a martini, and trying to hide the run in your stockings. Lana Del Rey just works for WITCH, she’s mysterious, deceptively shallow, and seductive- just like magic.

Johnny Cash - I Hung My Head



Anything Johnny Cash was the soundtrack to my university years. He is a fantastic storyteller. His voice conveys so much emotion, it’s clear and it’s strong. I try to emulate Johnny when I write and listening to him clears my mind. I Hung My Head is one of my penultimate favourite songs by Mr. Cash, it is a simple story of utter tragedy. It makes me think a lot about WITCH, what would you do if you did something so stupid, what would you give up to get out of a stupid mistake you made?

Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen



We’re shaped a lot by our parents. I wasn’t the coolest kid in school so, when I wanted to get into music, I asked my mom to buy me “cool” tunes (big mistake). She came back with Fleetwood Mac. While this didn't make me the most popular kid, I am now happy she did. I love Stevie Nicks and she helps me when things just aren't working the way I want in WITCH. Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac are my editing music. They get my head bopping, they allow me to let go of crappy pieces of text I through were brilliant weeks ago, and the help me get work done.

Shireen - Unmarked



Shireen is actually a band who’s lead singer I know pretty well. She’s my friend and her name is Annieke and she has the voice of a siren. Normally, when you meet people and they tell you they have a band you cringe a bit. (Note: This normally has nothing to do with the band and more me just being too judgmental). However, when I heard Shireen I was sold. Their music is amazing and haunting. I ended up listening to this one track so much while working on our Kickstarter Campaign. It’s a perfect song for WITCH (especially if you take the lyrics a bit too literally).

Thank you for listening in with me. I had so much fun compiling this list :).
If you like the playlist and you’re interested in our Kickstarter for the corebook of WITCH, please check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1568822309/witch-a-dark-modern-fantasy-role-play-game

--

Tim here again. Thanks Liz. That's a great playlist.
Are you interested in being a Guest VJ here at Friday Night Videos? Send me an email at timothy.brannan@gmail.com

Kickstart Your Weekend: WITCH

I am really trying to cut back on my Kickstarters.

But this one looks seriously cool.

WITCH - a dark, modern fantasy role play game

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1568822309/witch-a-dark-modern-fantasy-role-play-game

The designer is Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, +Liz C. . She is new but she has a lot of neat ideas. You can find her at Angry Hamster Publishing.  http://angryhamsterpublishing.com/

The game reminds me of C. J. Carella's WitchCraft and a bit of Ron Edwards Sorcerer.
Now I will be honest.  I have scores, if not hundreds of "Dark Supernatural" rpgs.    So I am looking to see what is new in this one.  So what can this do (not just in terms of mechanics but game play) that I can't already do with other games.

The character creation sounds interesting enough.

There is a lot of information out there on this game already. Check out the links on her website and here are some interviews.

• http://tabletoptorch.com/2015/03/witch-2/#sthash.GTZvRJHd.LxfCZMWl.dpbs
• http://www.contessa.rocks/contessa/interview-with-liz-chaipraditkul
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxNYLmaYX9c (Character Creation)
• http://www.guysgamesandbeer.net/2015/02/g2b-ep-140-thats-one-angry-hamster.html

My favorite thing so far is this FateQuiz flow chart.  Want to know what sort of character to be?  Use this!  It's a good graphic to add to Pintrest, Tumblr or Instagram.

I hope to be talking to Liz C. again soon and learning more about this game.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Victorious

I was going to cut back on these, but this is very much a Peanut Butter and Chocolate situation for me.

Victorious is the newest RPG from the Troll Lords.
It is a Victorian Era / Steampunk game using the SIEGE Engine system, the same that powers Castles & Crusades and Amazing Adventures.   So you can see why I am interested.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/victorious-the-role-playing-game

It should be 100% compatible with Amazing Adventures, but I won't know till I get it obviously.

I am certainly NOT in the market for a new game, let alone another Victorian Era one (I have them all), but damn if it's not attractive.

This being Troll Lords they were funded long before I ever saw the page.  I have supported them well in the past and I am on the fence on this one.  Yes I am going to buy it, that isn't even a question.  I just think this time I might wait and give my FLGS the money instead.

I am going to keep an eye on it for what ever bonus levels and features they add.

Strange Brew: Art and Updates

Strange Brew is moving along.  Not as fast as I would have liked, but it is getting there.  Magic items are taking a lot longer than I anticipated.

But I do want to share a new piece of art from Jacob Blackmon.
My iconic Larina in flight.

I really love this one!

Strange Brew Updates

Thought I would spend some time today talking about Strange Brew.

For my part (the writing) I am moving along. Maybe not as fast as I would have liked, but 12+ years of playing around with this material has given me new perspectives.
For example last night I rewrote the Hermetic Mage Prestige Class to work a little better if your initial path to it was an Alchemist or an Oracle.

Today I am on track to finish up the magic items, though that might take longer depending work and how many pages it ends up.

The art is looking great and I love what I have seen so far.  I have not seen the spells chapter in layout yet, but that is what is happening to it now.

So we are moving along. We had a team meeting a couple of weeks ago to see where all the departments are at and things are good.

I am really looking forward to getting this into your hands.  It is going to be a massive volume.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Jim Balent & Holly G's Crossover: When Magick Meets Manga !

I will freely and happily admit I am a fan of the Tarot Comics from Jim Balent.
I am also a big fan of Holly Golightly's "School Bites" webcomic.

In fact I have featured their characters here a number of times over the years for a variety of systems.

Tarot Witch of the Black Rose

• Mutants and Masterminds, 2^nd Edition
• Mutants and Masterminds, 3^rd Edition
• True20
• Cinematic Unisystem
• Superbabes

Cherri Creeper, Witch Girls Adventures.

But I have never brought them together.

Well Jim and Holly are going to do that now in a new crossover comic book.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimbalent/jim-balent-and-holly-gs-crossover-when-magick-meet

The art is going to come in a variety styles.
So we will see Tarot, Raven and Boo in "School Bites" quasi-Manga style and the girls of School Bites drawn in Jim Balent's hyper-realism style.

Of course it could be fun just to see Tarot and Cherri on the same page since both characters seem to be modeled on Jim's wife Holly.

But honestly I am most excited to see "Annie Mia" the vampire turned Dark Angel from School Bites.

I know Jim and Holly are not everyone's tastes, but the comics are fun and they are both great people and this comic promises to be a blast.  So check it out!

Kickstart Your Weekend: Adult Wednesday Addams

A while back I sang the praises of Melissa Hunter (+melissahunter)  and her web series Adult Wednesday Addams.

Well the for the longest time it looked like 6 episodes was all we were going to get, but now she is back with an Indiegogo campaign to bring us Season 2.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/adult-wednesday-addams-season-2#home



She is already at her goal, but a few more buck wouldn't hurt.  Plus at the bargain price of only $5 Wednesday promises not to kill you.

If you have not checked out the first 6 videos please do so.  Melissa does a FANTASTIC Wednesday. And it is a lot of fun to see her in new situations like Internet dating, one-night stands, part time jobs and looking for an apartment.  Sounds mundane, but not when it is Gomez and Morticia's youngest daughter.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Barrel Rider Games

James Spahn over at Barrel Rider Games has been quietly releasing a steady stream of work for Labyrinth Lord and Old-School Games for a couple of years now.

I have posted a number of times about BRG over the years and reviewed a lot of his work.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/search?q=barrel+rider+games

Where BRG really shines is getting out PDFs of a single class for a buck.   You don't have to buy everything they make, but there is certainly something for everyone.

So it is my pleasure to let you all know about BRG's fund-raising drive to get some new equipment to put out the Class Compendium.  Promising to over 200 pages (and I expect it will be more than that even) the BRG Class Compendium will feature some of class from his catalog with plenty of updates to some of the earlier ones.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/class-compendium-for-labyrinth-lord

He is asking for a modest $550 via Indiegogo.  Which honestly I feel is reasonable.  You are making an investment in his company and getting nice book of classes in return.  Also this means the BRG can keep doing what they have been doing the best; short sweet pdfs for a buck.

I think this is a good cause.  You spend some money, you get a book.

You can also find him on the web at:
https://www.facebook.com/BarrelRiderGames

Kickstart Your Weekend: CHILL style!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I want draw your attention once again to the Chill 3.0 Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/playattentiongames/chill-3rd-edition-a-horror-roleplaying-game

With just a few hours left to go this promises to be one really fun game.

Kick Start Your weekend!

End of Quarter, new one start on Monday.  Busy as hell today.

Here is a Kickstarter you should check out.

Of Dreams and Magic
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/887885342/of-dreams-and-magic

I think they have something cool here and worth checking out.

Of Dreams and Magics RPG

Recently a new Kickstarter/Company was brought to my attention and I decided to look into them a bit more.

The games is Of Dreams and Magics RPG and it looks very, very intriguing to me.  The publishing company, ODAM Publishing, also looks good.   I recently spoke with the guys behind ODAM, John and Matt and this is what they had to say.

Tim Brannan/The Other Side:  Let’s start at the beginning,  who are you and what is ODAM Publishing?

Matt: I’m Matt

John: And I’m John, and we are founders of ODAM Publishing.

Matt: ODAM Publishing seeks to make a full line of high-quality RPG products and other tabletop games. Having been lifelong gamers and fans of the hobby in general, we decided to marry our passion with our experience in business in order to provide outstanding games for anyone to enjoy.

TB: How did you get into gaming?

Matt: I’ll always remember picking up the Vampire 3rd Edition book and being fascinated with it. I had a close friend who played Vampire with a group, which John was the storyteller for, and from that moment on I was hooked.

John: I had a friend in school who knew I Ioved to write. One day he just flat out asked me if I had ever heard of a roleplaying game and insisted I’d love the concept if I gave it a shot.  He was correct, and a lifetime of fond memories followed.

TB: What are some of your favorite games? Why?

Matt: As I mentioned, Vampire the Masquerade was a book that I would read over and over again before ever even playing it or knowing what an RPG was. More than anything, I hope that our books will make someone feel the same way I felt when I first saw that book. My other favorite game would have to be Shadowrun, going back to the 3rd edition. It’s my favorite setting - I only wish I had more chances to play it with my regular group, as I think the 3rd edition book was a bit harder to get into. The short Shadowrun stories I did get to tell do remain my favorites to this day, though.

John: Some of my fav’s are AD&D 2nd and 3d editions, white wolfs Vampire the Masquerade, and Star wars by West End Games.  I have a very wide range of tastes so I’d get my fantasy kicks from D&D, my horror from white wolf, and my sci fi from Star Wars.  There were many others along the way but those probably got the most play out of me.

TB: I can certainly relate to those, though I am a bigger Unisystem fan. Now the good stuff.  What is “Of Dreams and Magic?”

John:  It’s an RPG about being a dreamer who can affect our world by carrying the magic of their dreams into reality.  Honestly being an RPG fan is a lot like being a character from “Of Dreams and Magic”.  Every gamer has these great stories and experiences they live through with their playgroup but to the rest of the world its just a dream.  The concept of the game is that an omnipresent force called the Doubt causes people to not believe in “magic” or anything extraordinary.  These few dreamers learn the truth and are forced to face the Doubt, their nightmares, and a host of other antagonists.  Fortunately for them they can summon the power of their favorite dreamself to face their enemies.  Just imagine if you learned that at a moments notice you could really do some of the things your characters could in the many games you’ve played - then you’d have an idea what this game is all about.

TB: You describe ODAM as Modern Fantasy? Elaborate a bit on that.

Matt: Not only does ODAM take place in the here and now in the literal sense, I think it’s a game ABOUT the here and now. A lot of people are facing hard times and dream of a better life, which seems to be out of reach. When I think of someone creating magic, I think of ordinary people who are out there doing things they’ve been told they can’t. While they may not be able to summon a cybernetic handgun to their hand, they’re definitely battling the Doubt.

John: There’s definitely a bit of allegory here.  Of Dreams and Magic is designed to peel back the veil separating a gamer from their game.  The players themselves were always the lynchpin that tied all of their gaming experiences together.  Now we’ve written a game where that player can be one character in the modern world and tie all of his many game experiences together - all within a single system.  The modern fantasy description pertains to that real world character now playing in not only his many dream settings, but then also playing in the real world with what he gained from them.

TB: It sounds a bit similar to Mage, but in a different direction. What is here in ODAM to set it off from other Modern Fantasy games.

John:  Hopefully lots of things!  As I mentioned we created a unique setting where playgroups can tell any kind of story and have all those experiences link back to a single character who dreamed them.  Then they can play a sidelining adventure telling stories about what that dreamer does with those experiences.  People have found it rewarding both emotionally and technically.  In theory a group could have as many campaigns in as many settings as they want without ever truly “starting over” as all of those experiences help build and develop the dreamer character they are tied to.  Additionally we developed a new rule system that allows players to be as detailed or as minimalistic as they like.  We felt if a player asked themselves “I wonder if I could do this” with our game in mind they should always find the answer to be yes - and they won’t have to rewrite the mechanics to do so.

TB: What was the reasoning for going with it’s own system?

Matt: We wanted to use our own system because we wanted all aspects of the game to have their systems built around them, rather than having to mold our ideas to a separate system. We think the rules should serve the setting and actual roleplaying rather than the other way around, and the best way to do that was to design our own rules.

John: I’ve never felt the true greatness of playing rpg’s revolved around their rules.  Nobody thinks back 10 years on the cool rule they used in a favorite story.  Great systems help you tell the stories you are passionate about without making you feel like they are getting in your way or only make sense some of the time.  We recognized all gamers have different tastes when it comes to the complexity of their rules, so we decided to start from scratch and build a system that could please anyone who used it, regardless of what side of the spectrum they came from.  We all know the feeling of a great scene occurring and then staring in wonder at how limiting the rules are when it comes to actually playing it.

TB:  What sort of games/stories do you expect that people will use this for?

Matt: The exciting thing about ODAM, in my mind, is that in time people will be able to use it to tell any kind of story they want. The core story focuses on the modern day, but by traveling through dreams a play group will be able to tell a fantasy session after watching The Hobbit, tell a horror session on Halloween, and then settle into some sci-fi when summer comes back around. All of this while having these separate stories and characters serve each other rather than be disruptive.  More than anything, though, I hope that people will tell stories that inspire them and that make them believe in their own dreams.

John: Any!  That’s one of my favorite parts of what we’ve created.  I’m really excited to hear how people tell their own stories maybe emphasizing the horror of a character’s nightmare, or the action adventure of being in starfighter battle.  I guess I’m as interested in other peoples “dreams” as I am in my own.

TB: What are your future plans for this game?

Matt:  Since a large aspect of the game deals with different genres and blending them together, we’re really excited to eventually produce books that focus on those specific genres. John will be able to share the fantasy world he’s GMed in for decades with the rest of the gaming world, and I’ll be able to display a cyberpunk setting that features my favorite parts of the concept.

John:  The plan is to release supplemental publications to help give gamers more tools to enjoy their stories. Primarily I hope to produce setting books, each embodying a different genre, to give playgroups detailed worlds to be used either as material for their characters dreams, or to be played and enjoyed as completely independant game using the very same rule system.

Matt:  In the short term, we’re focusing on releasing the core rulebook and supplemental material related to it, but in the long term, we really hope to provide books that everyone can enjoy regardless of their favorite genre.

TB: Ok last question and this is for my own benefit. Who is your favorite wizard, witch or magic-user?

Matt: This may come off as a strange answer, but Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. My first exposure to the character was through my favorite game of all time, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father. The game offered up a ton of information about historical voodoo practice in New Orleans, and I was so intrigued by it that I became interested in the subject beyond just the game.

John: Strange as this may sounds, I’d have to choose Willow. The main character of the motion picture bearing the same name holds the title in my mind because his magic powers were so understated.  His genius resided in his determination to do the right thing - whatever the cost.  I have rarely been so amused by a wizard’s personal quest as I have watching Willow learn to believe in himself even if no one else did.

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Looking forward to seeing what they do!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/887885342/of-dreams-and-magic